Pineview Successful in Funding Bids for Tenants
We are very much aware that many of our residents are continuing to struggle with household expenses. Last winter you may recall that we were successful in receiving a total of £23,462 in funding from the Scottish Government’s Social Housing Fuel Poverty Fund and the Scottish Government’s Winter Hardship Fund. With this funding we were able to distribute:
• Fuel vouchers to 291 households
• Support to restore power supply to 3 households.
• Food vouchers to 195 households
We have continued to look and apply for funding to help our residents in these challenging times and this year we are delighted that so far, we have been successful as follows:
Social Housing Fuel Support Fund
Approximately £74,000 to set up a comprehensive energy project with the Wise Group to provide in depth support for households in / at risk of fuel poverty and fuel fear. This project has been operational for several months and we have been encouraging residents to use this excellent customer centred service. So far tenants that we have referred have been surprised at the range of help and support that can be accessed for them. Please contact our office for more details (0141 944 3891. Email: mail@pineview.org.uk).
The support provided includes:
The support provided includes:
Energy Crisis Support
• Resolving immediate issues where households have no access to energy / fuel supply and / or have self-disconnected.
• Assistance to access emergency fuel top up payments.
• Assistance to access energy supplier initiatives
Advocacy Support
• Engaging with energy suppliers to reduce / write off energy debt and negotiate suitable repayment plan.
• Addressing complex billing/account/metering issues.
• Managed referrals to other support services e.g., mental health, foodbank, social inclusion.
Energy Saving & Efficiency Support
• Assistance to obtain energy efficient appliances.
• Assistance to access eligible support to improve household efficiency.
• Help to reduce energy consumption and optimise usage.
• Advice on the efficient operation of heating systems and electrical appliances.
• Information and advice on low-cost measures available to improve energy efficiency.
Income Maximisation support
• Assistance to access eligible support to maximise household income.
• Access to eligible energy industry schemes such as Warm Home Discount, Hardship Funding, other Energy Crisis Funding streams.
• Referrals to partners for benefit entitlement checks to ensure households are accessing all available benefits.
Specific Energy Advice & Information
• How to read meters, interpret bills and monitor usage.
• Benefits of smart metering.
• Advice on dealing with / preventing mould and dampness.
Social Housing Fuel Support Fund
£21,000. As it is likely that people will experience increased fuel hardship in the New Year, we thought it would be appropriate to assist as many tenant as possible by distributing this funding from January 2024.
We will use this funding for:
• Fuel Vouchers for families with pre-payment meters
• Direct payments to families with dry meters
• Fuel Vouchers or direct payments to single tenants
• Support for tenants who have had their gas supply capped.
Pineview staff will continue to source and apply for funding to help our residents in these challenging times.